IT ALL STARTS WITH BLOOD. In 2020 alone, nearly half of the studies published by La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) researchers relied on human blood samples. Through blood, they witnessed the immune system’s battle against SARS-CoV-2 and the power of COVID-19 vaccines. Through blood, they tracked responses to yellow fever and dengue virus. They even uncovered potential drivers of heart disease. In 2021, the Institute opened the John and Susan Major Center for Clinical Investigation. In this new, highly efficient space LJI staff can see up to 35 donors a day. This is where generous blood donors meet the hardworking Clinical Core staff.

“Advances in Parkinson’s research, specifically, have been very meaningful to me as my father had Parkinson’s disease,” Levi says. “I watched as it slowly robbed a once vital and strong man of his ability to move and think.”